Vehicle-tongue support



(No Model.)

G. F. SEISER, W. T. HILL & W. L. NUTTALL.

VEHICLE TONGUE SUPPORT.

No. 892,640. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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William IZZZZZ w zzaamzrmaau 5&3 52 6 L 61 608142130 GEORGE F. SEISER,\VILLIAM T. HILL, AND \VILLIAM L. NUTTALL, OF PORT ROYAL, ASSIGNORS TOSAID SEISER AND WV. J. GOGLE AND W. F. BREl/VER, OF LOUISVILLE,KENTUCKY.

VEHICLE-TONGUE SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,640, dated November13, 1888.

Application filed April 27, 1888. Serial No. 272,068. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. SErsER, "WILLIAM T. HrLL,and WILLIAM L.NUTTALL, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Port Royal, in thecounty of Henry and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Thill Elevators andSupports, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in thillelevators and supports;and it has for its object to provide a simple, cheap,durable, andefficient support which will hold the thills in either the operative orthe elevated position, and which will enable the same to be changed fromone position to the other without disengaging any locking device;furthermore, to provide means for supporting the thills in the operativeposition, such that they are allowed a vertical swing to accommodate themovements of the horse, and, furthermore, to provide means which may beemployed in connection with any ordinary thill-coupling.

The invention consists in a certain novel construction and combinationof devices, fully set forth hereinafter in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a side view of a thillprovided with the improved support and adjusted in the operative orhorizontal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the thill raised.Fig. 3 is a front view of the same with the thill in the raisedposition.

Referring by letter to the drawings,the axle clip A is arranged over theaxle B in the ordinary manner, and is provided on its frontside with theforwardly-projecting ears 0 O, and D represents the thill, which isattached to the "thilLiron E, the rear end of which is mounted on atransverse bolt between the said ears 0 (J.

The removable clip-plateF is attached in the usual manner to the clip,and is provided at its front end with the upwardly-curved projectionG,the under side of which is provided with a rounded shoulder, H. Theupper end of the said projection is rounded, and this, together" withthe rounded shoulder which is near the upper end of the projection,forms a rounded knob, the function of which will be hereinafterexplained.

The curved spring I is attached at its upper end to the under side ofthe thill-iron by means of the bolt K, which passes through thethilliron and the clip and clip-plate L and M, which embrace the springa short distance below the said bolt, and the lower end of the spring isprovided with a rounded portion or hook, N, which bears and slides onthe rounded underside of the projection G.

When the hook N is below the rounded shoulder on the projection G, thethills are held in their horizontal or operative position, and when thehook is above the same,or bearing on the upper side of the rounded knob,the thills are elevated. When the hook is below the shoulder and aweight is placed on the thill,it is depressed, and the end of the springslides on the rounded under surface of the projection; but when theweight is removed from the thill the strength of the spring raises thethill to its original or operative position.

We are aware that it is not broadly new to provide the thill-couplingwith a curved series of ratchet-teethand attachaspring to thill toengage the said teeth, whereby the thill may be held at any desiredheight, and we do not claim 7 this construction. It will be noticed thatwhen the ratchet is used the thills may be raised without manipulatingthe locking device; but in order to lower the thills the spring must bedisengaged from the ratchet. It is to obviate this inconvenience that weprovide the rounded shoulder, over which the end of the spring may bemoved in either direction. without operating it separately. Therefore,to lock the thills in the elevated position simply raise 8; them untilthe lower end of the spring engages over the rounded knob on the end ofthe projection, and when about to attach the horse to the vehicle it issimply necessary to place the horse under the thills and draw the latterdown 0 over him with one hand.

It will be seen that the improved clip-plate may be substituted for theordinary clip-plate in any thill-coupling.

Having thus described our invention, we 5 claim-- 1. In a thill-support,the combination, with the clip having the thill-iron mounted thereon,

of the clip-plate F, attached to the clip and having a roundedprojection,G, provided with a rounded shoulder, H, and a rounded knobabove the said shoulder, and the spring I, attached to the under side ofthe thill-iron, and provided with a rounded orhooked lowerend bearing onthe projection G and adapted to hold the thili in either thehorizontalor the elevated position, substantially as specified.

2. In a thill elevator and support, the coinbination,with the clip, thethill-iron mounted thereon, and the thill secured to the thill-iron, ofthe clip-plate F, attached to the clip and having a roundedprojecti0n,G, provided with a rounded shoulder, H, and a rounded knobabove the said shou.1der,t11e spring I, attached to the underside of thethill-iron, and having a rounded or hooked lower end bearing on theprojection G, the bolt K, passing through the thi1liron and the end ofthe spring, and the clip L and plate M, embracing the thill, thilliron,and the spring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. SEISER. WILLIAM T. HILL. WILLIAM L. NUTTALL. Witnesses:

Josnrr-r B. CARR, C. R. J oIINsoN.

